New book: Between Occultism and Nazism

From long-time ISE faculty member, Peter Staudenmeier, now a professor at Marquette University:

Between Occultism and Nazism:
Anthroposophy and the Politics of Race in the Fascist Era

The relationship between Nazism and occultism has been an object of fascination and speculation for decades. Peter Staudenmaier’s Between Occultism and Nazism provides a detailed historical examination centered on the anthroposophist movement founded by Rudolf Steiner. Its surprising findings reveal a remarkable level of Nazi support for Waldorf schools, biodynamic farming, and other anthroposophist initiatives, even as Nazi officials attempted to suppress occult tendencies. The book also includes an analysis of [...]

From long-time ISE faculty member, Peter Staudenmeier, written for the Lexicon pamphlet series sponsored by the Institute for Anarchist Studies. This was originally posted in March 2014 and revised in August 2015:
In ancient myths of paradise, people lived in boundless plenty without work or want. The fruits of the earth were freely available to all and no labor was necessary. If life under capitalism is a far cry from paradise, it is nonetheless beholden to its own myths of work, prosperity, and progress. Understanding what the world was like before the rise of capitalism, and [...]

In June, 1910, Rudolf Steiner, the founder of anthroposophy, began a speaking tour of Norway with a lecture to a large and attentive audience in Oslo. The lecture series was titled “The Mission of National Souls in Relation to Nordic-Germanic Mythology.” In the Oslo lectures Steiner presented his theory of “folk souls” or “national souls” (Volksseelen in German, Steiner’s native tongue) and paid particular attention to the mysterious wonders of the “Nordic spirit.” The “national souls” of Northern and Central Europe belonged, Steiner explained, to the “Germanic-Nordic” peoples, the world’s most spiritually advanced ethnic group, which [...]

“Anthroposophy and Ecofascism” has sparked a debate within Scandinavian humanist circles, with some authors like Peter Normann Waage lining up to defend anthroposophy as a harmless variant of humanism. 1 While we are encouraged by this long overdue debate, we are troubled by the degree of historical naiveté it has revealed. Waage’s perspective seems to represent a view that is fairly widespread among educated and well-intentioned people. We hope that we can contribute to a more accurate view of the political implications of anthroposophy by [...]

“The Steiner I know,” writes Peter Normann Waage, was the nicest guy you ever met. 1 He couldn’t possibly have said and done all those nasty things Staudenmaier and Zegers say he did. It’s just not like him. Why, look at all the other nice things he said! Look at all the wonderful work his followers do! Look at all the nice friends he had!

As frivolous as Waage’s arguments are, they point to a serious issue: the Janus face of anthroposophy. Steiner’s writings are [...]

Göran Fant says that he is unable to recognize the portrait of anthroposophy that I painted in my article “Anthroposophy and Ecofascism.” (1) I am not surprised that he found my portrait hard to swallow, since Fant is convinced that anthroposophy is by definition anti-racist and opposed to nationalist and right-wing politics. I cannot argue with Fant’s personal beliefs, but they are unfortunately incompatible with anthroposophy’s actual historical record. In the course of the several debates that have ensued since my article was first published, I [...]

The economic and political doctrines of German occultist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), the founder of Anthroposophy, are often referred to as ‘social threefolding’ or ‘the threefold commonwealth’. Many of Steiner’s admirers view his social teachings as a promising part of an alternative economic vision, one that can lead us away from both the ravages of untrammeled capitalism and the travesty of state-commanded Stalinist economies such as the former Soviet Union. What enthusiasts of social threefolding often do not realize is that Steiner’s economic and political doctrines developed in a specific historical context and carried a very different [...]

[The following three articles – “Mythologizing Kosovo,” “Selective Indignation: Achilles Heel of the Left,” and “Viewing the Balkans from a Distance” – were written in 2000 and 2001 as part of an exchange with Marxist-Humanist author Peter Hudis. The exchange was supposed to appear in a collection of left debates on Kosovo edited by my friend Danny Postel, but the book project never reached publication. As far as I can determine, Hudis has not published his half of the exchange. In 2009, the tenth anniversary of the US and NATO bombing of Kosovo and Serbia, I [...]

Reply to Peter Hudis
Peter Hudis is no longer sure where he stands. At first he demanded that leftists everywhere actively support the Kosovo Liberation Army, the foremost expression of contemporary pan-Albanian nationalism. Now he tells us that “nowhere in my essay did I express support for “Albanian nationalism” or indeed for any kind of nationalism.” This retreat from his earlier stance is understandable, since subsequent events have rendered that stance increasingly embarrassing. While Hudis sorts out his thoughts on the matter, I will try to review the context of our debate.
When I wrote my [...]

Facebook Feed:

This June, join ISE faculty and participants from across the globe for our 2018 ISE Summer School in Poulsbo, Washington! Spend a week or weekend exploring the struggle for a free and ecological society, from theories of racism and capitalism to movement history and strategy. ... See MoreSee Less

URGENT
EMAIL ZAP OF 'DEMOCRACY NOW!' TODAY BEGINNING AT 12:00pm EST, AND ENDING WHEN DEMANDS ARE MET! LET'S DEMAND AN IN DEPTH STORY ON THE CRISIS IN AFRIN! Start spreading this post far and wide. Email it to listservs you're on, post it into other groups which you are a member of, send it to people in individual messages. Don't let people miss out on this action!
...
The crisis in Afrin is at a perilous point right now, as the Turkish Army and their FSA gangs push their invasion of Afrin City, and still the press remains apathetic, or even silent. Democracy Now!, to name one has briefly mentioned vague updates on the situation during their daily headlines, but they never have an in depth story during their broadcast. That has to happen now. If Democracy Now! is going to live live up to their name, they need to talk about why democracy is at stake in Afrin.
For this reason, tomorrow there will be a mass email flood of Democracy Now! To demand immediate, and in depth coverage of the situation so that their viewers have the opportunity to learn why the revolution must be defended at all costs. Here is what you must do.
1.) Go to www.democracynow.org/contact
2.) Under subject, enter “CRISIS IN AFRIN”
3.) In the “Your Message” field, enter the following:
Greetings,
My name is _________. I’m writing to you today because I am very concerned about the current crisis with the Turkish invasion of the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin and the extremely lackluster response from the media and hence the public in general. I am glad that you have mentioned clashes between the forces in Afrin vs. the invading Turkish Army and FSA gangs, and have kept us updated during headlines, but the situation out there requires much more background to know what is truly being threatened by Turkey’s transgressions. For years, the people in Rojava along with the Women’s Protection Forces (YPJ), the People’s Protection Forces (YPG), and countless volunteers from all over the world have sacrificed so much to build a revolution in Rojava (Syrian Kurdistan); a way of life where people make their own destiny through democratic councils, and where women are free. Rojava has also been a shining light of how multiculturalism can thrive in the middle east, shattering centuries old tribal and national conflict. It is a blueprint for how much better the whole world can be despite all this turmoil.
But now, in the face of betrayal by both the United States and Russia, and the FSA and Turkish army encroaching further and further upon Afrin City, these incredible social and political advancements are threatened. Far too much blood has been shed for this to happen. Please find it in your time to do a long story on a broadcast in the next coming days. Two organizations that are worth contacting for expertise are North American Kurdish Alliance (NAKA) and Friends of Rojava in North America (FORINA). This is a humanitarian crisis with potentially world shaking effects, yet the world is silent.